GILBERT - The Big Creek Owls make their final trip to Matewan to night to take on the Tigers while the Tolsia Rebels march up US 52 North to tale on perhaps their oldest rival, the Tug Valley Panthers. The Belfry Pirates travel to Whitley County and the Montcalm Generals visit the Burch Bulldogs tonight.

The annual King Coal Festival is coming to an end in Williamson tomorrow but before it does, the Annual King Coal Bowl takes center stage in the festival tonight as two of Mingo County’s schools meet at Lefty Hamilton as the Gilbert Lions take on the host Williamson Wolfpack.

Although the forecast calls for only rain Friday night, expect all these area teams to add their own thunder to the mix.

No. 11 IAEGAR vs No. 20 GILBERT

Anyone who thinks this game is just going to be a novelty game as the last game between two long and bitter rivals should think again.

This game is going to be hard fought to the end because this game will have big implications in the West Virginia Class A Football ratings and, most likely, the coming Class A football playoffs.

For more on this big one, see the story below. And be ready for a big game atmosphere if you go to this one.

TUG VALLEY vs

MATEWAN

This game could very right for Matewan if they come in and play like they are capable of playing.

However, they are going up against a Tug Valley team that first year head coach Josh Duty is certain is about ready to hit their stride an start surprising people.

Duty was very pleased with his club’s performance last week against a tough Tolsia club. He felt that performance was his team’s best to date and was an indicator of things to come.

The one thing that the Panther’s opponents cannot afford to do is to take a win against them for granted at this point. And while there may be a tendency to do that, anyone who knows Matewan Head Coach Danny Kinder knows that he never takes any game or any opponent for granted and you can be sure that he has his club well prepared for the Panthers.

In one additional twist, Duty, ala the NFL’s Rex Ryan, reached out last wekk after the Tolsia game asking the Panther fans to give them a good following for their road games, feeling it would boos the confidence levels of his team.

One thing is for sure...the Panthers will need confidence - and a lot of offensive firepower - in their road game against the Tigers this week.

WILLIAMSON vs VAN

This one has back story after back story that could easily be talked about in great length.

Van comes into this one against a very similiar oppponent in Williamson as both are among the smallest Class A schools in West Virginia and both have great and storied histories in state athletics.

But Van almost didn’t make it to this game or any other football game for that matter as at the beginning of the season the program was thrown into turmoil by the lack of interested players and the loss of their coach to another school.

The shortage of players caused the school’s administration to suspend the program. Then, when they did get enough players to play their coach had left and they had difficulty securing an new one Also many of their opponents had picked up other games in their places and had to re-arrang their schedle to play Van.

So now, Williamson comes a calling in the season tha talmost wasn’t in Van. And they come after a stinging loss in the King Coal Bowl last week and come into this one with something to prove.

Despite their records, look for this one to be physical and competitive. And neither team can count this as an automatic win.

BURCH vs. HANNAN

Burch is coming into a game with two wins under their belt for the first time in a very long time. And they’re up against an opponent that is very similiar to them.

This one should be a good test for both teams, but don’t be surprised if the Bulldogs come home with win No.3.